I said I was ditching capsule wardrobes (at least in their purest form) here. But one place where I’m still all in?
Belts.
I have three belts to cover all my belting needs and have been happy with this three-pack for awhile now. (I have to admit, though, that I could probably do with just one if I had to – I’m looking at you, grey skinny.)
All thrifted, in no particular order, they are:
- Braided leather – the Utilitarian Player:
Leather, no brand.
Great for jeans, darker color schemes and more casual looks. I used to have a black one, too, until I realized I don’t wear black anymore. These are super easy to thrift because they’re essentially men’s belts, so it’s easier to find a non-vanity length (read: will fit around your hips, not just your waist). - Grey skinny – the Chic Understatement:
Leather, J. Crew.
Great for outfits where I need to hold my pants up but my shirt is tucked in and I don’t particularly want the chunky/woodsy statement of #1. Also great at the waist for subtly-hued dresses; I used a tack to push an extra hole in the leather to cinch it tighter and I tuck the extra end into the main portion of the belt. See it in action all the way back here (when I was still using tiny font to caption tiny photos). - Leopard skinny – the Fun One:
Leather + pony (?) hair, J. Crew.
The perfect punch to bring a sober outfit up a playful notch. See it in action here.
Just as there are “bag” or “shoe” people, I imagine there are “belt” people. I admit I am not one of these, so I may be biased on how many belts it is necessary to own. What’s your optimum number of belts? Are you one of those curious and fascinating people who is tempted to buy a new (to you) belt every time you thrift, or are you happy with just one or two? Scroll down to comment!
That looks like a very sensible and efficient capsule! My belt capsule includes 5 items, overlapping quite a bit with yours: brown braided, tan skinny, blush pink skinny, dark teal wide stretchy belt, and a funky black beaded macrame-ish thing.
I’m thinking of getting rid of them all.
I just really never wear belts, and never feel right/comfortable when I try. (I have a short torso and never tuck in my tops so belts are never visible. I also don’t have much waist definition and belting just seems to call attention to that. And what waist I do have is high, so belting there just shortens my torso even more.)
So, contemplating a belt capsule of 0. Crazy?
To be fair, I would totally make up for it in shoes. :-)
I am dying to see a picture of that black beaded macrame-ish belt…sounds fab!
I hear you on belt issues. I have given up with close-fitting tops where the hem hits below my belt line because it just looks really weird to me to have that obvious belt bump break up the silhouette. But because I am a child of the 90s and feel most comfortable with pants that sit near my hips, I still require a belt for any pants that like to inch downwards…which may be a problem with my pants, not my belt. :)
Also, how does anyone comfortably eat with a belt around their middle?? (I do wear belts at my true waist sometimes, but usually on the looser side.)
A zero belt capsule sounds great to me! Thanks for commenting.